Self-efficacy moderates message-framing effects: The case of skin-cancer detection

Health-promoting messages can be framed in terms of the gains associated with healthy behaviour, or the losses associated with unhealthy behaviour. Studies show inconsistent results as to which type of framing is more effective. In this study, we examined the influence of self-efficacy to perform skin self-examination on the effects of gain- and loss-framed skin-cancer detection messages among 124 university students. For participants with high self-efficacy, a loss-framed message resulted in a higher intention to perform skin self-examination than a gain-framed message. For participants with low self-efficacy, there were no differences in intention between the gain- and loss-framed message conditions. Our results suggest that self-efficacy levels play an important role in message-framing effects. For health communication strategies promoting the active detection of skin-cancer symptoms, messages stressing losses may be more effective than messages stressing gains, but only in persons with high self-efficacy. In addition, our results suggest that health promoting messages can be framed to match recipients' self-efficacy levels.